John s



UNIrnn y STATES JoHN s. LINstEnlor New YORK, N. Y.

.IMPROVEMENT IN FIREFPLACES. a

Specication forming part of Letters-'Baitent No. 186,013, datedJanuary 9, 1877; application tiled Y February 25, 1876.

` their respective tire-places. f

The objects of my invention are to facilitate the immediate and thorough removal of ashes from open fire-places in each and every story of a buildingand to prevent the fouling of chimneys and apartments from any upward current ot' air carrying ashes, while in the op.. eration of discharging ashes or cleansing tireplaces through such chimney-liues.

These objects are attained by the following means:

First. By a vertical chimney-due foreach tire place, such Elue to' extend upward to communicate with the external air, and to be 'protected from the weather by a roof or ventilator, or otherwise, and to extend downward to communicate with an ash-sitter or other receptacle in the cellar of the building.` This chimney-flue communicates with but one lireplace by a smoke'tlue above the iire-place, and an ash-fine below the same. A series of such lues can be arranged in astack for the sev; eral stories of a building, to be constructed out oi any suitable material, but preferably of concrete blocks, having elliptical or circular perforations with a smooth interior surface, so that when laid they form a strong tire proof chimney with vertical` hues, and having a smooth interior surface throughout.

Second. By a ure-place having a grate so constructed as to be shaken or turned for dumping purposes by means of a lever applied to the grate or central bar of the same through a perforation or niche in the side of the tire-place or chimney-jamb, such fireplace to be, preferably, of an elliptical form.

Thirdl By a hat fender, which serves as a cover to the mouth of the ash-Hue, and refront and tit the fender close by its lower edge, l

all danger of sparks, 85e., dying out into the apartment is guarded against. The blower.

may be secured to the fireplace front by any convenient means.

Fifth. By means of a valve or gate attached to the lower end of the chimney'tlue. The purpose of the valve is to prevent the rush of ashes up the iiue caused by the strong upward current, which may be ot' such force as otherwise to carry line ashes back to the apartment through the lireplace. This valve may be made ot' meta-l, and is secured by a hinge to the upper edge ot' a pipe or conduit, which terminates the chimneydiue, and is so adjusted as to shut the due air-tight, remaining shut by its own weight.

The construction and opera-tion of my invention are as follows: A is the fire place, which is preferably an elliptical dome-shaped one, so that a greater quantity of heat shall be thrown into the room. B is the fender, which is provided with a iiat bottom. b', and a rail, b, which extends around three ol' its sides. l/Vhen the fender B is pushed in, the extension of its dat bottom b acts as a cover to the ash-flue F. The tire-place A is provided with a smokeiiue, E, and an ash-iiue, F, both ot which enter into the vertical chimney-liuc D. To the bottom of the line D is secured, at an angle of inclination, a conduit or pipe, Gr, to which is attached by a hinge joint a self-acting valve or gate, H. This valve or gate is so constructed that it will fall by its own weight, and thus keep the conduit G always closed, except when the grate isV dumped or shaken, and the fall of the ashes, cindcrs, etc., opens the same. e is the grate, to whose axis or central bar is applied a lever, g, by means of which the same is dumped or shaken when occasion requires. This lever passes through a niche, j', in the side ot' the fire-place, as shown in Fig. 1. C is the blower, which is constructed with two series of dampers, c c, the dampers c being, designed to give draft above the re, and the dampers c to give draft below the tire. By the employment of these two series of dampers I am enabled to increase or diminish the amount of draft to a much greater degree than where only the lower series of dampers are used, sincc I not only can have a draft below the tire but also one above the same, to aid combustion. This blower is provided with the usual handle G.

Method of operation: The blo wer() is placed so as to cover the refplace A with the upper and lower dampers closed. This renders the fire-place front nearly or quite air-tight. The

valve or gate H, opening the same and flowing over a sitter into an ash-box, the valve or gate H immediately closing again asthe mass oi ashes passes the same, thereby preventing any return of ashes upward through the chimnyey-Hue.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a fire-place, the vertical chimney-flue D, lire-place A, shaking-grate e, ash-flue F, and valve or gate H, the whole constructed, combined, and ,arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination ofthe fire-place A, ashflue F, grate @,vflat fender B, and blower C, the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. The blower C, having upper and lower dampers cc, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signe my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. LINSLEY. Witnesses KIMBALL C. A'rwooD, DE WITT G. LAWRENCE. 

